Easily offended

What a minefield it must be to work at the BBC. Even the most seemingly innocent remark may, it seems, be fraught with offence. In a documentary about the Commonwealth Games, the presenter was hurled to the ground by a young judo champion and joked: “I am not sure I can live that down – being beaten by a 19-year-old girl.” Apparently, the use of “girl” was sexist and hurtful – though not to the girl, or rather woman, concerned – and was edited out when the programme was repeated.

This is, by any standards, bizarre. It is one thing to keep a watch on the Jeremy Clarksons of this world, quite another to seek offence where none exists. The BBC’s language police should stick to investigating genuine word-crimes – such as the use of “toilet” for “lavatory”, revealed by this newspaper on Saturday to have infected even Radio 4.